In recent years, cloud computing systems have been put to practical use as a systematic mode of providing services using the Internet. Users who at least have an Internet connection can use services called “cloud services” provided by cloud computing systems, without the need of preparing hardware resources such as a server. The cloud services that have already been implemented include a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) service that provides CRM system functions for customer management and sales support. Other cloud services include a document management service that provides a storage and management function for storing and managing electronic files.
There is also a service that provides a microblogging function as a communication tool. The microblogging function is a concise blogging function with which a user who has an account for the service publicizes a short statement with about 100-200 characters called “mutters” as a “message” or “comment”. The “users” referred to here are not limited to actual users (people), but also include objects or applications such as a printer or an associated service on the cloud service. Each “message” and “comment” publicized by a user is assigned a unique identifier. With the microblogging function, a “timeline” is created on which “comments” associated with a “message” registered by a user can be registered, displayed, and managed. The user who registers a “message” and other users exchange information and communicate with each other by registering associated information as “comments” on this “timeline”. Each user account has a user profile management function, which allows a user to know some personal details of a person the user is communicating with. For example, information about a user name, contact information (e-mail address, telephone number, address, etc.), a group the user belongs to, and the like is managed.
Some CRM services provided as cloud services have the microblogging function as a communication tool used in business. Those cloud services further improve usability by linking customer information or business information to “messages” and “comments”. At the same time, some CRM services also provide a file sharing function for storing, editing, updating, and referring to files, which are shared by users. Examples thereof include Salesforce.com, which provides the microblogging function called Chatter. It also provides Document and File as its file sharing functions.
Meanwhile, image processing apparatuses are becoming more and more multifunctional and sophisticated in functionality. In recent years, image processing apparatuses that have a network interface (hereinafter abbreviated as network I/F) as well as basic functions such as scanning and printing functions for converting paper documents into electronic ones, have been developed. For example, in the image processing apparatuses having a network I/F, electronic files formed by scanning paper documents can be transmitted to the above-mentioned cloud document management service which can store such documents therein. It is also possible to transmit the electronic files to any desired destination by attaching the files to an e-mail, for example.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-10922 proposes a technique in which a server performs processing based on an instruction from the client side. More specifically, a file in which an execute command is described is transmitted from a client terminal to an FTP folder, a server detects the transmission of the file from the client terminal, and runs a job by executing the command described in the file.
However, the conventional technique has the following problem. In the above-described conventional technique, for example, image data obtained by scanning an original document cannot be distributed to users with the microblogging function provided in a cloud service in an environment where the users are doing business operations using the microblogging function. Furthermore, in the above-described conventional technique, if image data is transmitted from an image processing apparatus, an operator needs to be aware of and select the destinations. For example, when scanning and distributing meeting materials or minutes, an operator has to select e-mail addresses of all members on the image processing apparatus. For that reason, operator's operations become complicated, or errors occur because some destinations are missed or materials are transmitted to unnecessary destinations. Moreover, an operator needs to determine an appropriate distribution mode depending on the combination of members of the destination. For example, when distributing materials by transmitting them to a folder on the document management service, an operator can complete the operation for distribution to all members only after selecting the folder for which all members have permission to access.